The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1887-09-23

lhey Keep q grocery store In Clover
street, don't theyP"
Eyes, old Peter used to keep the
store, and when he died his son Tom
run the business, and he got along
first-rate till he begun to drink. The
Berrys live next TO the store, and it
was the last place on the milk route,
so could stop there while to gas
with old Mis- Berry and Louisa. Mebbe
you've seen Louisa - tall girl - has
curls, wears long earrings. Well, l
used to get there about breakfast time,
and once in awhile I'd eat breakfast
with the women, and that's how it
started. Louisa she was always around.
and she struck one rs very pleasant
and sociable and sensible-and l liked
to hear her talk-then. And l took
our vegetables and butter and eggs to
the store, and when Tom was drunk
I'd oversee the business little. Old
Mis- Berry was awful weak about Tom;
she excused him rs well as she could,
said he was sick, and tell you she felt
bad when he died; so | married Louisa
and went to their house and run the
store. 1t was rel nice on the start,
though my folks were mad at me
fact is, got married without telling
George, and he abused Mis- Berry and
Louisa till l had to give him pretty
broad hint to hold his tongue. There
was a considerable GOODNESS between
him and me for spell, and though he
,.i,r In, In
Tom-fool performance, he didn't real
iZe that was to blame, and that poor
Mis- Berry and Louisa would have sent
me a flying if they had kno wed the
sort of man was They didn't, and
l didn't myself till it was too late.
at begun by Louisa and her mother
trying to help me tend store, and
Lord! how mad l was! The store was
their'n, so l bought it, and told 'em
I'd run it my own way; l was so afraid
of being bossed. Then in the house
they undertook to polish me up; wanted
me to wear a necktie every day, and l
wouldn't do it. A necktie amt much
to fight about, is it? but Louisa, she'd
give me that necktie and I'd stomp on
it, and then she'd cry, and then l was
mad as n hornet. You amt married,
Janet, and YOU don't realize how easy
it is for man and his wife to get into
hot water, and one with my hasty
temper -"
"Ah, Uncle Eph," 1 said, "you never
spoke an unkind word in your life"
Not to you and Mary and the rest
of the young ones" he returned, mild
ly, "but l want married to any o.
you, and that makes sight O. diff
ference. l spoke a good many to
Louisa; l got ugly; got SO ugly that
l forgot how to be pleasant There is
q cussed, mean, cantankerous streak in
me, and marriage brought it out !
strong. Them two poor women had a |
terrible life with me. I'd come down |
to breakfast thinking I'd behave like
Christian just for one day, and before |
the butter was melted on my pancake |
Louisa she'd make some innocent re-
mark, or her mother would apologize |
for there not being any maple strip,
and then I'd growl and grumble like a
bear with q soar head; nobody knows
what for; and I'd go to the store, and
bang the door after me, SO as to be
ugly up to The last notch.
cit wasn't pleasant, Janet. Finally
old Mis- Berry got so she couldn't
speak to me at all, for fear of what I'd
say back, and Louisa didn't das't to
open her mouth. And thinks !, If
you're going to be dumb, I'll be dumb,
too So none of us spoke to each
other except when we had to. Nice,
wasn't it? Along come George in the
thick of it, and what must he do but
pitch into the women. l. being his
brother, he was sure l was all right, |
but | seq to him: George, you don't
know me; You amt got any idea how
I'm acting But he wouldn't hear a
word of that; he went in and give
Mis- Berry and Louisa terrible talk
ing to, and then give HIM talking
to and everybody got mad. Why,
George acted as though l was a child
to be cuddled and fused over. Well, !
he cleared out, and Mis- Berry was
crying and Louisa she had sort of fit.
and the next day Mis- Berry told me
louisa had heart-Gisease and was likely
to die if she got excited. That scarf
me, and yet it put murder in my
heart
Uncle Eph's pipe had gone out, and
drawing his chair nearer mine he went
on in low tone:
"Soon rs i knowed that Louisa was
likely to die II / yelled at her or